


Giving

by alwayssunnyprompts



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Episode: s12e08 The Gang Tends Bar, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-08 22:57:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12874833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwayssunnyprompts/pseuds/alwayssunnyprompts
Summary: "The words pour out of his mouth uncontrollably. His face is on fire and his heart is in his throat and he thinks he might throw up. But he looks up and sees Mac smiling and it all seems to melt away."Gifts are given and hearts are mended.





	Giving

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

He turns the box over in his hands. Allows himself to enjoy the texture of the paper, the contours and angles and ridges of the gift underneath. Fights the urge to toss it in the trash and just forget this whole thing. He feels ridiculous. He's nervous like some sort of goddamn kid trying to work up the nerve to talk to their crush, which is completely stupid, because he's a grown man and he's known Mac for years. They know each other better than anyone else, have seen each other at their best and worst. And yet here he is, anxious out of his mind, waiting for Mac to come home so he can give him a Valentine's Day present.  

He tells himself it's only fair, after all, Mac had just given him the best gift he'd ever received. Not just the RPG, but the gesture. The reassurance that someone cares, that he has a person that would go out of their way to make him happy. No ulterior motifs, no manipulation, no reason other than to make him, Dennis Reynolds, happy. He thinks that maybe it changed him. Not a huge shift, but something deep inside. Emotions that he'd been trying to stifle for years flooding to the surface. Maybe he almost cried. Maybe he would have if the rest of the gang hadn't been intruding. But that didn't matter now. What matters, he thinks, is Mac coming home so that he can finally get this over with and calm down.   

He hears the jingling noise of Mac's keys in the door and leaps up, walks to the living room. As soon as Mac's through the threshold he's talking.  

"Dennis! I put the RPG in the bar because I think that I can get a rocket for it. I know you said that you don't need it but I really think that it'd be even better if we can shoot it together. Just you and me--" 

"Mac?" The rambling is sweet, but if he doesn't get this off his chest now he might die.  

Mac is looking at him now, breathless and flustered. He's still beaming. Dennis isn't sure he's ever seen him this happy.

"Yeah, Dennis?" 

"I...um...have something. For you," eye contact is out the window, and he can feel heat rising in his cheeks, so he thrusts the box in Mac's direction, "Happy Valentine's Day, I guess." 

"Dennis, you got me a gift?" He's positively glowing now, his eyes wide with disbelief. 

Dennis lets his face relax into a small smile. 

"I couldn't let you have all the fun, could I?" He tries to sound collected, but it comes out as a nervous chuckle. Luckily, Mac is preoccupied, running his hands over the front of the box like it's the most precious thing he's ever held. 

"Can I open it?"

"Of course, dumbass, what else would you do with it?" 

He rips it open, with controlled excitement, pausing to examine it. 

"Is this...a picture of us?" 

It is. It's just a stupid picture they took on Dennis's cell, but Mac's always talking about how much he loves it, how he wishes they had more photos to decorate the apartment.

"Yeah, your favorite. I... uh, got it printed and framed. I thought you could put it in your room or something." 

"Dennis...It's..." his voice is trembling, "You did this for me."

It isn't a question, just an observation filled with worlds of warmth and emotion. He can't seem to take his eyes off the frame. Dennis sees a tear drip onto the glass. The goofy grin is still plastered on his face. 

"It's the best thing anyone's ever given me," he lifts his eyes to meet Dennis's and in that split second he looks so beautiful that Dennis can hardly stand it.

"I... had to do it, Mac. After today, I did some thinking and I realized that nobody really gets me like you do. You _care._ And... I think it in a hundred different ways every day, but I've never said it out loud. I love you."

The words pour out of his mouth uncontrollably. His face is on fire and his heart is in his throat and he thinks he might throw up. But he looks up and sees Mac smiling and it all seems to melt away.

"I love you, too."

He throws himself into Dennis's arms, tears soaking his shirt. He's sobbing and laughing and holding Dennis like his life depends on it. It's ridiculous and emotional and so _Mac_ that Dennis just laughs a little, hugging him tighter.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to submit requests at alwayssunnyprompts.tumblr.com


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